Muneera Lula is a Policy Advisor at the UK Crown Civil Service. She graduated from Manchester with a BA in Politics and Modern History in 2017. Here, she talks about what she does and how she got there following her time at Manchester.

On what I do and how I got there

I am a Policy Advisor for the UK Government. I rotate between government departments working to develop my skills and add as much value as possible to the policy area. I got into this role by completing the assessment centre for the Civil Service Fast Stream, and I was absolutely elated to have been successful. I was very fortunate that I graduated with an offer to do a job I was incredibly excited for. Prior to this, I had completed a short work shadowing programme and a full summer internship in government.

On life at Manchester

I knew I wanted to study History and Politics, but Manchester was such a fantastic place when I came to visit. It felt homely and kind with so much to offer both academically and through extracurricular activities. I loved my time at university, but there were a few standout experiences that were particularly great. In my final year, I was the President of the History Society, and it was a really brilliant opportunity to stretch myself.

During my degree, I had the opportunity to study such a huge range of history and politics. My study of colonial history was amazing and eye-opening. I also loved my term as the Student Women’s Officer of the union, and my time on the women’s cricket team. University really was a chance to have a go at anything.

On my advice for other students

Get absolutely stuck into life at university and expand yourself out of your comfort zone to gain as many skills as you can. You may not know it yet, but experiences at university give you the skills to be employable and good in a job. I would highly recommend researching which internships and work shadowing programmes are available to you in whichever field interests you; the Careers Service can offer guidance on this too.

My biggest piece of advice, however, is to take some time to really reflect on yourself, your motivations and your strengths. It’s really difficult, but with every opportunity you take, you should know yourself a little better and be able to understand what kind of career would best suit you. If you love people, challenging problems, interesting work and exciting opportunities, then government work might just be for you.

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